In general, an electrical connector typically includes a dielectric housing (e.g. plastic) which mounts a plurality of conductive terminals having contact portions for making electrical connection with the terminals of a complementary mating connector, with electrical wires or cables or with a variety of other electrical devices. Some electrical connectors are elongated and include slots for receiving flat electrical circuits, such as the distal ends of flat flexible circuits having exposed, generally parallel conductors.
One of the continuing problems with elongated electrical connectors which receive flat circuits is the problem of the connector housing bowing because of the interacting forces between the circuit and the resilient contact portions of the terminals spaced along the elongated circuit-receiving slot. Because of an ever-increasing demand for reducing the thickness or size of such flat circuit connectors, there is a tendency to reduce the thickness of the walls which define one or both sides of the circuit-receiving slot. Elongating the connector or reducing the thickness of the walls leads to an undesirable reduction in the strength of the walls, because the housing typically is fabricated as a unitary structure of plastic material.
Another problem with such connectors for flat circuits involves the terminals themselves. Not only does the trend of ever-increasing miniaturization of such connectors cause the terminals to be extremely delicate or fragile, but the ever-increasing density in circuits within a given size limitation results in the terminals being extremely small. The resilient contact portions of the terminals may have insufficient contact forces and may be prone to breakage or at least losing their resiliency.
The present invention solves these problems by providing a unique elongated support member which not only provides reinforcing support for the connector housing but also provides reinforcing support for the resilient contact portions of the terminals.